Alumna of the Month: Alana (Williams) Cooper

One of the most dedicated Alumnae to the Zeta Beta chapter over the past 10 years is Alana (Williams) Cooper. While Alana was a collegiate at LMU she held the positions of Director of Member Education and Vice President of Chapter Operations. Since her graduation in 2004 she has held the volunteer positions of on-campus advisor, chapter advisor, and operations advisor. In addition to volunteering with the Zeta Beta chapter directly she has also spent time volunteering with Alpha Phi regionally and nationally. She is a judge for the undergraduate scholarships through the Alpha Phi Foundation, a programming specialist for Team Sooner (Oklahoma) and a human resources coordinator for the Southwest Region.

"Alpha Phi has made me a more well rounded individual and has prepared me for many of life's challenges. I have learned patience and how to see things from various perspectives.  The 2 am emergency phone calls prepared me for having a newborn baby!" says Alana.

Alana currently works as a High School Counselor working with at-risk students helping them stay on track for graduation and encouraging them to go on to college.

"When I was initiated in 2001 at LMU I have never thought I would still be involved with this organization 10 years later," says Alana, "Now I can't imagine not being involved. Volunteering and meeting women from around the country has been a blessing and an incredible experience. I would really like to encourage anyone that has any interest to explore all the possibilities and take advantage of what Alpha Phi has to offer."

Thank you Alana for all that you do for Alpha Phi!

Alana and her beautiful family

Capture A-Phi 2012!

This past Sunday, we had our third annual Capture A-Phi event! For those who don't know, Capture A-Phi is the Zeta Beta chapter's fall philanthropy event. It is a capture the flag tournament played with student teams of about six people, each with an APhi coach. Each participant received a 2012 Capture A-Phi shirt as well as lunch from Chipotle! And this year, the event was held at LMU's Sunken Gardens which made for a perfect Sunday morning in the sun!

The money raised will go to the Alpha Phi Foundation, which helps women with cardiac illnesses as well as any Alpha Phi sisters in need. In addition, we are now working with the Heart Institute at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles! So a part of the funds raised will also go help out the kids at our newest philanthropy!

Overall, we raised over $1600! So a big thanks to everyone who came out to support! Thanks to our fabulous sisters Hannah Comstock, Jenny Mercado, and Kim Tran for putting on an amazing event! And congrats to Lambda Chi who's team got first place! They won a delicious home cooked meal by the sisters of LMU Alpha Phi :)











Peace, Love, and Alpha Phi
Michelle Eriksson
Director of Media

Alpha Phi Elections 2012

Like everyone else we've been following the national elections but this week we were also busy with elections of our own. Congratulations to our newly elected officers!

President- Breezy Bruns

VP Risk Management- Alicia Lundgren

VP Operations- Quincy Felipe

VP Programming and Education- Renee Kozikowski

VP Recruitment- Liz Way

VP Marketing- Leilani Mahoney

VP Campus Affairs- Alex MacDonald

Director of New Member Education- Charlotte Laven

Director of Finance- Christina Ventoza

Director of Administration- Mary Del Mundo

Greek Council Delegate- Alex Petosa

Director of Fraternity Education- Shannon Hearne

Director of Formal Recruitment- Jenna Hoover

Director of Aphiasco- Gabbie Littlejohn

Director of MAP/COB- Katie DiTomaso

Director of Sisterhood- Whitney Dahlgren

Director of Service- Sarah Davidson

Director of Media- Lisa Alexander

Director of Publicity- Marila Lombrozo

Director of Chapter Events- Marissa Slavinsky

Director of Watchcare- Katie Altobello

Director of Scholarship- Bianka Bubic

Director of Sr/Alumni/Parent Relations- Jordan Stetson

Chaplain- Brooke Ellias

Director of Capture Aphi- Mackenzie Menotti

Historian- Nicole Joens

Director of Family Events- Caitlin Jordan

Director of Health and Fitness- Isabella Cunningham

Director of Music Caroline Paulson

Greek Week 2012 Wrap-up

GREEK WEEK 2012!

See how we spent the week serving the community and playing our ♥ hearts ♥ out during football.

Fall Service!

Today's post is written by Quincy Felipe, our Director of Service!

"With this past Greek Week, the girls of Alpha Phi were given the opportunity to participate in various service events throughout the local community. From gardening to carnivals, my sisters put in their all and gave as much as they possibly could and I couldn't be more proud.

When it comes to service, it doesn't just stop at Greek Week. Throughout the school year and the summer, girls dedicate their time to volunteering. This includes tutoring elementary through high school students, beach clean-ups, Campus Ministry's Feed the Hungry, De Colores, and anything else the girls are passionate about. I'm so proud to be part of such a humble group of girls who go above and beyond with trying to make a difference. It's heartwarming to see such a caring group of girls spread their love throughout the community. What is even greater is that we get to do it all together. Spending the time to volunteer with each other strengthens our friendships by giving us something extra to share and bond over. There's no better way to build sisterhood than through service."

Quincy Felipe

Class of 2014

Director of Service

Exchange and Date Night

This semester, we've been fortunate to have some great social events all thanks to our awesome social chair, Alix Traeger!

Exchange
In September, we kicked things off with our first exchange of the year. Alpha Phi teamed up with the men of Beta Theta Pi to have a night of Hippies vs. Hipsters! We all had such a great time making new friends as we bonded to the universal love of One Direction and dancing along to some Carly Rae Jepsen. Below are some pictures from the event!

Sophomore Gabby Littlejohn and Junior Katie Altobello as Hippie and Hipster

Sophomores Jenna Hoover, Taylor Carter, Cristina Ventoza, and Leilani Mahoney

And our costume contest winners, sophomores Courtney Krail and Hannah Miller!

Date Night 

The next weekend, we had our semester's first date night! Each year, we have two date night events--one each semester-- and it is tradition that our fall date night is more casual and costume oriented. This fall, the theme was Predator vs. Prey and I have to say, we got REALLY into it! Seeing all the fun, creative costume ideas that everyone came up with was definitely a highlight of the night. We all danced the night away with our dates dressed as anything from Cruella DeVille and a dalmatian to a cougar and a teenager! The night's costume winner was senior Ali Clarizio and her boyfriend for being a squirrel and a car! Overall, it was a great night and everyone brought their best for costumes. Check out some pics below from the event!

Senior Alyssa Dasso and our Ivy Man, David Neubert, as Boo and Sully from Monster's, Inc. 

Arielle Jones, Galen Gomez, Danielle Vicino, Bryanne Lewis, and Kim Tran take a girl's pic!

Senior and costume winner Ali Clarizio with sophomore Isabella Cunningham 

Well that's it for this post! Can't wait to see what our exchange next week with Sigma Phi Epsilon will bring!

Peace, Love, and Alpha Phi,

Michelle Eriksson

Director of Media

Phi of the Week: Keeley Miller

This week's Phi of the Week is Keeley Miller! Read on to see why this amazing sister get's the award for the week!

"Abraham Lincoln, the much praised 16^th President of the United States, supposedly once said, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” Whether or not Lincoln actually made this statement is irrelevant. The message is significant in echoing what history has shown us: those who take initiative are those who become successful. Zeta Beta’s Phi of the Week has continuously embodied the values of dedication and commitment through her unwavering initiative in chapter activities as well as in her other endeavors. With that said, Alpha Phi is truly proud to call Keeley Miller a sister.

Since her spring initiation, Keeley has without a doubt stood out as an asset to the chapter. Dedicating her time to Loyola Marymount’s theater program in addition to the sorority, many of Keeley’s achievements have gone unrecognized. Yet, since the beginning of fall semester, it has become impossible to not acknowledge Keeley’s consistent initiative and dedication. A standout Lip Sync helper, Keeley utilized her natural talents in helping girls with their lip syncing and overall spirit, which undoubtedly contributed to Alpha Phi’s success in the competition. Furthermore, when chosen as watch care for Date Night, Keeley went above and beyond in fulfilling what was asked of her the night of the event. Keeley has truly epitomized what it means to be an Alpha Phi and will continue to shine as a quintessential Phi in every aspect of her life."

Alex Petosa

Member Development Chair

Class of 2015

                  

Happy Founders' Day! 140 Years!

HAPPY FOUNDERS' DAY! 140 years ago 10 women at Syracuse University imagined boldly and took that first brave step that set us on our path to be outstanding women supporting one another in lifelong achievement. Today we honor those women.

The Founders of Alpha Phi Fraternity:

Clara Bradley Burdette

Florence Chidester Lukens

Martha Foote Crow

Ida Gilbert Houghton

Jane Higham

Kate Hogoboom Gilbert

Elizabeth Hubbell Shults

Rena Michael Atchison

Louise Shepard Hancock

Clara Sittser Williams

Alpha Phi was the first sorority founded at Loyola Marymount University 36 years ago. We are very thankful for our LMU founding sisters as well!

In honor of our 140th Anniversary, please enjoy this video...and watch until the end for a "lovely" surprise!

Phi of the Week: Kelsey Harrington

This week's Phi of the Week is Kelsey Harrington!

"All of us have heard the quote. Whether it was from an English class, She’s the Man, or Pinterest, William Shakespeare’s wisdom rings familiar: “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Some individuals exemplify one or two of these methods of greatness, while a few achieve all three. Zeta Beta’s Phi of the Week is one of those few. Through her natural leadership ability, determination to inspire her sisters to succeed, and willingness to take on roles for the betterment of her chapter, Kelsey Harrington has unquestionably achieved greatness in various ways.

                  
In the short time since the school year has started, Kelsey has displayed leadership during Lip Sync, in her position as A-Phi football coach, and through her general presence and natural initiative both during and outside of Alpha Phi functions. Her charisma, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to everything she does make Kelsey stand out as a positive leader and someone who we can all aspire to embody in our attitudes and actions. There is no doubt that Kelsey is Phi of the Week, and that she will continue to lead the Zeta Beta chapter of Alpha Phi in its contribution to the Loyola Marymount community through the various attributes that we can more specifically define as greatness."

Alex Petosa

Member Development Chair

Class of 2015

Lip Sync: Behind the Scenes

Check out the behind the scenes of Alpha Phi's Lip Sync 2012!

Executive Board Spotlight: VPCO

This week's E-Board Spotlight comes from our VP of Chapter Operations, Malia Haunfelner!

"If someone told me a year ago that I would be a VP, let alone VP of Operations for Alpha Phi, I probably would have said that they were crazy. I definitely wanted to get more involved within our chapter but I doubted my ability to step up and be a VP. I ran for several lower scale positions last year, but we needed someone to fill the VP Operations position. Someone suggested that I do it and my whole pledge class agreed. Having them back me up and believe in me, meant the world to me. I knew that if my sisters thought I could do it and fill the position well, then I could. They pushed me and gave me confidence, and I am so extremely grateful that they did.

I am a communication studies major and English minor, so running for a position that involves creating our annual budget and dealing with finances was very intimidating. But I feel so lucky that I was given the chance to learn and fill the position to the best of my abilities. As VP of Chapter Operations, I produce and maintain our annual budget, ensure that all dues are collected, manage cash flow and officer spending, and work closely with the rest of the members on our executive board.

I have learned so much and have grown tremendously over the past year, mainly because of Alpha Phi and my position as VPCO. I can’t even imagine what my college career would have been like without Alpha Phi and all of the truly amazing women in our chapter. They have all pushed me to be a stronger, better, and happier person. Being on executive board has brought me so much closer to all of these amazing girls and I feel so thankful to have them all in my life. These girls are my family and being VPCO has allowed me to grow, not only as a person, but also as a member of this chapter."

Malia Haunfelner
VP of Chapter Operations
Class of 2013

Lip Sync Review!

Today's post is by head choreographer, Christie Afzal, and what it felt like to bring home a first place win! Thanks again Christie and Dawne for all of your hard work!

"Hearing Alpha Phi get called as first place for the sororities in the annual Lip Sync competition was such an amazing and thrilling moment that I will never forget. I could not have asked for a better start to my senior year. The girls worked so hard and it definitely paid off. I could not be more proud of them. Everyone really motivated each other throughout the entire process and late nights. I know all of the girls are already missing lip sync practices like I am. There is nothing better than getting together with all of your sisters every night and bonding with the other girls in the lines around you. The most memorable experiences for me do not just involve choreographing and teaching the dances, but the fun games we played to give the girls some laughs during breaks and watching the girls give endless support to one another while practicing the movements. Everyone went out on stage and had so much fun it was incredible to have mine and Dawne's visions turned into a reality."

Christie Afzal

VP Recruitment/Lip Sync Co-Choreographer

Class of 2013

PHI-nominal Phi: Breezy Bruns

Here is our latest guest post by our PHI-nominal Phi, Breezy Bruns. She was recently featured on LMU's website here.  

"Last week I was given the opportunity to intern with CNN at the Republican National Convention. Being a political science major, this internship was a dream come true. I was able to work directly with the politicians I study on a day to day basis and watch the political process that I have devoted a large part of my studies to, first hand. It was the perfect immersion into American politics before I head off to my fellowship at the London School of Economics and internship within British parliament. 

During my time in Tampa, I was able to utilize skills I developed as a member of Alpha Phi's executive board. I was forced to keep an open mind and listen to varying perspectives, an important tool when helping to make decisions that will affect your fellow sisters. In addition, I was able to be flexible when necessary, as large scale events rarely go as planned. These internships are helping to further develop my leadership abilities, and I hope to utilize what I am learning as a leader in Alpha Phi when I return home!"

Love and AOE,

Breezy Bruns 

Class of 2014 

After the convention, Breezy will travel to London as a Hansard Fellow with LMU’s Institute for Leadership Studies.

Alumna of the Month: Adrianna Weingold

Adrianna Weingold is our Alumna of the Month for September!

Adrianna, class of 2005, is currently living in Palm Desert, California working as a reporter for NBC News. After graduating from LMU she continued onto grad school at USC and received her Master of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. Six short weeks after graduating she landed her first job as a Video Journalist at the NBC affiliate in Palm Springs, KMIR-TV. Not only does Adrianna report the news, but she also shoots the news, writes and edits the articles and much more. For the past 2 years Adrianna has been enjoying this exciting job; she explains that there is never a dull moment. “My favorite days I get called in early for breaking news, and the rest of the day is non-stop action. Whether on-scene at a fire, bomb threat, or reunion of marines with their service dogs, my days are rarely, if ever, boring.”

Alpha Phi plays a big role in Adrianna’s everyday life. Adrianna developed important skills from her sisters such as learning to stand up for herself and be a strong confident woman all while setting a good example by helping those around her. In Adrianna’s busy life she’s found it inspirational to remember this quote, “We often base perceptions on exceptions and not the rule.” This reminds Adrianna not to fall victim to living a life with the “fear of missing out.” Adrianna also leaves us with this idea: “Don’t compare your life to others, do what you think is right and stand behind your decisions.” At the end of the day, Adrianna has worked hard to achieve success. Whether it be her wise words of wisdom, her down to earth personality or silly character, she is a wonderful example for Alpha Phi’s everywhere.

-Michelle Beetham
Class of 2013
Director of Alumni Relations

Phi of the Week: Briana Losurdo

H. Jackson Brown, Jr. stated, “Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.” In other words, success and life to the fullest comes to those who take initiative and simply make things happen for themselves, and inevitably for others. Zeta Beta’s Phi of the Week exemplifies this quotation both in its metaphorical sense, as well as literally. Through her undeniably amazing dancing skills and leadership in stepping up to assist our Coaches with Lip Sync, Briana Losurdo has truly demonstrated what it means to be an Alpha Phi and the values that we call sisterhood.

Alpha Phi is comprised of the virtues of sisterhood, character, service, scholarship, loyalty, and character development. Briana has successfully achieved each and every one of these attributes in her selfless dedication to aiding and supporting her sisters both during and outside of practices – offering assistance to any girls who need it until the certain move [or entire dance] is learned. Her charisma and motivation is distinctive and truly contagious, inspiring others to persevere. It is undeniable that Briana is Phi of the Week, and that her leadership will continue to bring unity and sparkle to the Zeta Beta chapter at Loyola Marymount University that we are each proud to call our own. 

-Alex Petosa

 Member Development Chair

 Class of 2015

Lip Sync!

"On September 8th, the annual Greek Week Lip Sync competition is taking place. I was beyond excited to have the opportunity to choreograph this year, along with my friend Dawne Stanley. Lip sync has always been one of my favorite events of the year. Dawne and I have been competitively dancing our entire lives, and since freshman year, we have been looking forward to choreographing Lip Sync together our senior year. Whichever place we get, it is always an amazing time and a great experience. To people who watch lip sync, it only seems to be about perfect dance moves, fun songs, costumes, and an interesting story line. It is true that lip sync is all about these things, but for the girls participating in it, it is also so much more. This is the time of year where the entire sorority gets together almost every night. It is a time of bonding and getting to know everyone even better. It involves a lot of teamwork and motivating one another while we all work towards achieving the same goal. From late night practices to everyone getting together to paint backdrops, spending time with my sisters with the endless laughs never gets old. Everyone is extremely supportive of one another during practices and is always cheering on the girls that are dancing. The moves are not easy to everyone in the chapter, but the girls always work together to get them down, only to feel so accomplished at the end. There is never a dull moment when having 150 girls in a room together each night. These are definitely the nights I will never forget. After lip sync is over, everyone wishes it wasn’t because we are so used to getting to see each other every single day.

The feeling you get when it is finally time to get out on that stage the night of the competition is something I could never have prepared myself for my first year in lip sync. The lights are shining on you and the entire school is watching and cheering. Suddenly, it is like you forget all of the movements and your body is just somehow doing them on it’s own. Because of countless practices, your body is performing the moves because of the muscle memory. It is an unbelievably thrilling experience. Everyone is full of adrenaline and feels so proud at the end from truly giving it their all. Moreover, there was no better feeling than hearing the judges announce who won 1st place my sophomore year. After they announced Alpha Phi, I heard all of the girls immediately scream like nothing I had ever heard before and we knew our hard work had paid off. This was one of my favorite moments in Alpha Phi that I got to share with every single one of my sisters. No matter the outcome, the girls all enjoy becoming so much closer to everyone during lip sync. I can’t wait to perform our lip sync this year and I know I will continue to be proud not only of all of the girls giving their best effort, but also to be an Alpha Phi."


Christie Afzal
Co-Choreographer/VP Recruitment
Class of 2013

Alpha Phi right before Lip Sync 2011

Watch our 2011 Lip Sync performance "Saved by the Bell"

Welcome Back!

Hey everyone! Welcome back from summer vacation and to the new face of our blog! The purpose of our site will be to update all of our readers about what’s going on with Alpha Phi, here at Loyola Marymount.  Although most posts will be written by our active Director of Media, we will be featuring posts from various position leaders and Executive Board members. Our aim is to publish a couple new posts each week—so make sure to check back often!

But back to the original focus of this post: kicking off fall semester! After being separated for nearly four months, all of us are so excited to once again return to LA and reunite with our fellow sisters. On-campus move in starts this year on Friday, August 24 and fall classes begin on Monday, August 27^th. So be sure to be on the lookout for our sisters either in class or around campus as they rep APhi! Lastly, with some recent changes with Greek Week, this year’s Lip Sync competition will be on September 8^th. So for us here in Alpha Phi, we are channeling our energy into our choreography, in hopes of winning first place this year! Wish us luck!

Well, that’s all for today! Be sure to spread the word on our new blog! And check back next week when we post a guest article from one of our head choreographers, Christie Afzal (senior), who will tell us all about the Lip Sync experience and just how much winning first place means to us!

Peace, Love, and Alpha Phi,

Michelle Eriksson

Director of Media